9.5.2020 - week 70
i have a friend who said something brilliantly wise. he’s not generally a wise person, so this stood out as noteworthy. he was talking about situations where you get caught in the middle.
you are friends with person A and person B. they have a huge falling out. you aren’t really involved and it isn’t your fight. maybe some details have you kinda on A’s side, but B is a closer friend for longer. or whatever the exact details are. there is an implicit pressure to pick a side, cutting one out in the never ending game of relational triangulation that exists from the boardroom to the middle school lunch room.
what do you do?
my friend says, it’s simple.
‘i just wait and keep being friends with both A + B. if one of them asks me to choose between them, i go the other way. so like if A says, i want you to stop being friends with B, i quit A and stay friends with B. loyalty tests are for joe mccarthy and bears/packers week.’
—
this story has come mind over and over as i have pondered the intensity of our political moment. because of my background (mid-30’s move from outer suburb midwest mostly white church to inner city west coast all black church) my facebook feed is stuffed FULL of people who don’t believe you can possibly be a true follower of jesus and vote for X. both directions … and it hurts my heart.
some of the best people i know are all-in for biden
some of the best people i know are all-in for trump.
some of the best people i know don’t like either and aren’t sure what to do.
but the ‘i quit her because she said she’s voting for X’ is blowing me away.
i have a political perspective, but my certainty about it isn’t anywhere near my certainty about the empty tomb or 2nd coming. when we allow the temporary fight of the day to separate us from the permanent fellowship of the global church, we are at BEST, wrong in the way that we are right. since i started voting (2004), every presidential election has been called the ‘most important of our lifetime’ by christians + pundits left and right. it’s not worth the cost to be stridently certain, with all chips in the middle of the table on this.
it just isn’t. have a strong view. talk about it and promote it as much as you like,
but don’t allow yourself the luxury of thinking everyone ‘good’ or ‘christian’ thinks like you think. but you say ‘in this election, religious liberty is what’s REALLY on the ballot’ or ‘we are really voting for the SOUL OF OUR NATION.’ ok but to be honest … we say that stuff every time.
i know this may sound like a trite distinction, but its so critical. don’t make your mental vision of heaven smaller based on political beliefs. they are important. but they aren’t everything. jesus wants you to figure out how to love + understand people who think differently than you.
KG Korner
(a few wise words from lady kristen macdonald)
Nine years ago my sister and her husband bought a house from hoarders. Once all the stuff was out, what remained was a house that needed to be torn down to the studs in order to make sure it was up to code and free of all that used to fill it. And in nine years they did just that, the house was in the best way possible unrecognizable. That also happens to be one of America’s favorite past times, so much so that we have channels dedicated to home repair, restoration and reveals. Who doesn’t love a good reveal? A transformation that took months maybe even years in person is before your eyes and it can seem unbelievable but when contractors and designers work their magic the possibilities are endless!
This week I watched this video on Psalm 23:3 which says, “He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” And I want to share with you this good news this morning: our God is the God of restoration. And even as I say these words to you, you may want to retort, “we’ll see about that!” And I have to honestly say that I have been there too! But I want to speak life and hope over you today! Your God, the God who saved you while you were still a sinner, the God who knows your past and your future, the one who knows your failures and banner moments; He is one who is for restoration in your life. It is possible even when it doesn’t look like it. God can bring your brokenness to beauty in his time and his way.
As I searched the scriptures it couldn’t be more clear:
Joel 2:25-26 says, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…..You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.”
Jeremiah 30:17 says, “For I will restore health to you, your wounds I will heal, declares the LORD…”
1 Peter 5:10 says, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
A few more to look up on your own: Revelation 21:1-5, Hosea 6:1, Psalm 71:20-21, Isaiah 40:31
God cannot go against his character, he is (by very nature) a restorer. I would even venture to say the bigger the mess, the better He is at bringing the pieces together for his glory. Now, please hear me, even though it’s God’s will for restoration, sometimes that does mean a different time and way then we would pray for. Sometimes we gain understanding of the why in due time and other times we may never know the hidden things of the Lord.
But, here’s what I want to say to you today, sometimes your circumstances feel insurmountable and like you are the ugly house that is just standing by waiting for someone to come in and restore it to its former glory. We have a God who says it is possible. He promises his presence in the midst of the renovation. Sometimes restoration isn’t possible on this earth but I know that God will in eternity give you freedom from what binds you today.
As I took a last glimpse at my sister’s fully renovated house I ‘oohed and ahhed’ because all it showed was the beauty. All of the time, labor, energy, behind the surface work and cost that went into the months/years of renovation was hidden. But often the restoration God has in mind of our hearts and lives is much more beautiful than you or I could have ever imagined. He has intent to use this season (blood, sweat and tears included) whether it feels like “you’re down to the studs” or maybe for you it’s just a slight remodel, whichever the case, I believe in years ahead we will see a reveal we couldn’t have believed if told when we trust our God of restoration.
book review
for 10 years i have been trying to formulate my work to encompass the concept that you can ‘belong before you believe.’ this book articulates a lovely vision of how a church can embody the good news to people around them. i was genuinely inspired by what’s possible. the gospel is so urgent, but our manner can be patient. viars tells the story of his church’s successes and work in this area without it coming across as self-impressed. highly recommended …
kristen + i have a middle schooler. and i’m trying my best to understand him. as he is growing and changing through this weird time and the start of his 6th grade year, this book from a friend and mentor was tremendously helpful. marko works to normalize what you see happening in middle schoolers around you. he combines a bit of science, a bunch of anecdotal research, and a biblical framework to help us discover and enrich what has been entrusted to us. if you have a 6-8th grader right around, this is a quick read and really will help you.
super christian guy
content this week
my wednesday bible study has a new format, w. a new set, shorter message, a devotional from a friend, zoom worship, and a psalm meditation w. a world famous guitarist. i think you will dig it …
pieces of good news I saw this week
my sons have a new episode of their sports show out .. an NBA playoff preview, i guarantee you will laugh :)